Mindfulness Training and Coaching for Individuals

If you have been trying to meditate for a while and have not been satisfied with the results, or you don’t know where to begin and you need help getting motivated you are not alone. This simple practice can profoundly improve your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Working with a Mindfulness Coach can help you to:

·Learn more about Mindfulness Meditation in general·Learn more about the physical, mental, and emotional benefits·Gain clarity on the view and technique of mindfulness meditation·Learn how to work with common obstacles ·Deepen your path of practice and study·Learn how to carry the skills you’ll learn into daily life

Several programs are available, each tailored to meet your needs and level of experience with meditation from absolute beginner to long-time practitioner.

Mindfulness Coaching appointments can be held: * At my offices in Hershey, PA * In the comfort and convenience of your home * Or even by phone with on-going email support

Sample Program OverviewThe intention of the individualized program is to introduce the basic model of mindfulness, and to explore ways of applying it both professionally and personally. This program is a first step on the path to integrating practical, mindfulness-based stress management skills into everyday lives. Program participants will engage in a range of mindfulness practices and exercises intended to tap their innate capacity to learn how to: - increase mind-body awareness - identify and reduce stress - gain new coping skills to manage stress - be more responsive and less reactive in the midst of complex, and highly charged situations - affect and nurture deep states of relaxation and stress reduction - increase concentration, focus, and clarity of thought through the daily practice of mindfulness - bring attention to the habits of the mind

1. StressIntroduction to stress and its effects on psychological, behavioral, and physical well-beingThe body doesn’t distinguish between physical and psychological threats. When we are stressed over a busy schedule, an argument with a friend, a traffic jam, or a mountain of bills, our bodies react just as strongly as if we were facing a life-or-death situation. If we have a lot of responsibilities and worries, our emergency stress response may be “on” most of the time. The more our body’s stress system is activated, the easier it is to trip and the harder it is to shut off.

Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in our bodies. It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving us more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.

Discussion of paradigms, meanings, and the role perception plays in a stress reactionOur perception of a stressor governs our emotional response and resulting behavior.Our perceptions can exaggerate our shortcomings and often paints events to be much worse than they actually are thus greatly increasing our susceptibility to a stress response.

2. Automatic PilotWe spend much our time on “automatic pilot,” with our thoughts compulsively following habitual patterns that reinforce distressing emotional states. Mindfulness begins when we recognize our tendency to be on automatic pilot and make a commitment to stepping out of it in order to be aware “in the moment.” As we practice deliberately becoming more aware of our bodies, we notice the strength of our mental and emotional habits and realize that this simple shift to mindfulness can be very rewarding, but can also be hard to maintain.

3. Thoughts are not FactsNegative thoughts induce negative moods, and vice versa. Mindfulness allows us to realize that our thoughts are just thoughts, and that they are not objective descriptions of how the world is. This realization liberates us, allowing us to stop our thoughts from inducing emotions of frustration, anger, despondency, depression, etc.

4. Staying PresentThe scattered state of the mind is related to our tendency to want to escape unpleasant experiences and to cling to pleasant experiences — reactions that happen automatically. Mindfulness offers a way of relating to our experience with more deliberate awareness and equanimity. We learn neither to become despondent about unpleasant experiences nor to cling to pleasant ones. Instead we find a calmer and more stable place from which to relate to our experiences.

5. Allowing/Letting BeRelating differently to our experience involves learning to “allow it to be” just as it is, without making harsh judgments about it or trying to make it different. This kind of attitude allows us to be kinder to ourselves, avoiding blame. It also allows us to develop more wisdom, as we learn to see what, if anything, does need to change. We learn to extend the “calmer and more stable place” that we have previously connected with.6. Cultivating patience and kindnessCondemning ourselves for being less than perfect leads to a great deal of wasted energy and inner stress. It also leads inexorably to conflicts with others, since we condemn in others what we dislike in ourselves. With mindfulness, we can learn to cultivate more accepting, patient, and kind emotional responses to our experience. This helps us to have more appreciation for ourselves and others, and helps us to overcome conflicts with others.

7. Dealing with BarriersAs we continue to focus our awareness on the body, we see the chatter of the mind more clearly, and begin to notice how our thoughts shape our emotional experience. We deal with the issues involved in setting up a regular practice of mindfulness meditation, including problems that participants have experienced in their daily practice.

8. Guided Instruction in Mindfulness Meditation PracticesMindfulness of the BreathAs we learn to accept the seemingly endless chatter of the mind, we discover that intentionally bringing our awareness to the breath helps us to become calmer and less scattered. We begin to notice how the breath and emotional states are interrelated, and how an awareness of the breath leads to greater emotional peace.

Sitting MeditationThis is the cornerstone of mindfulness - To develop, over time, a sitting meditation that is done daily, if possible. It involves the "concentration of attention to the sensations of breathing, while remaining open to other sensory events, and to physical sensations, thoughts and emotions."

Body ScanA very effective exercise from the field of relaxation training and stress reduction. The body scan encourages you to focus on each part of your body, one after the other, to identify where you are holding tension.

9. Using what has been LearnedIntroducing practical methods for integrating mindfulness into everyday life. An ongoing mindfulness practice is a valuable support for a balanced life. Appreciating the benefits that we have experienced so far, and formulating plans to maintain the momentum of our practice will help us to develop the motivation to take care of ourselves in future.

Mindfulness training is not psychotherapy, and is not a substitute for mental health counseling, medical care or substance abuse treatment.It is important that you discuss any questions or concerns you have regarding your specific situation.We realize the personal nature of this information and we hold your responses in confidence, except in very rare circumstances, which your instructor will discuss with you.Please note that final decisions about participation in the program will be made by the course instructor(s).